We only write one blog a month to update you on what the programme has been up to, and every time we want to share amazing news we find yet another story is broadcast that brings into focus the stark reality of care and support for people with an intellectual disability and or autism in England.
Therefore, before we introduce you to our new programme team member, we thought it was important to draw your attention to the BBC Radio 4 broadcast from the 7th of October 2018 at 1700hrs as this really does demonstrate why the South ID programme is so crucial. The broadcast only lasts for 37 minutes and is well worth a listen; reporter Lucy Adams tells of her findings about the care of people with a learning disability seven years after Winterbourne View. But be aware – the content may upset you, it’s not an easy listen.
For the first time Lucy has been able to share shocking figures from NHS digital alongside yet more distressing experience from people with lived experience and their families. Some of the new things you will hear in the broadcast are:
- In 2016 people with a learning disability and or autism restrained on 15,000 occasions. In 2017 this increased to 22,000 occasions which was described as an average use of restraint every 30 min in England
- Face down or prone restraint in 2016 was used more than 2000 times and in 2017 this increased to more than 3100
- Chemical restraint or sedation was used 1800 times in 2016 and increased to 2300 times in 2017
- Seclusion which also can be considered a form of restraint took place on more than 2000 times in 2017 it was suggested this is an increase of 40% from 2016
- Patient on patient assaults have almost trebled between 2016 and 2017 from 3600 to more than 9000, and figures from between January and May of this year suggest they continue to rise
To listen to the broadcast click the following link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000mkd
This broadcast really shines a light on the continued need for development of a workforce with the right knowledge and skills in the right place and time in the right numbers so that people are able to live a life like any other.
Things still need to change this is clear, so it was fantastic to hear on Thursday of this week that the UK Parliament will debate a petition titled “Prevent avoidable deaths by making autism/learning disability training mandatory” which started earlier this year.
The debate will take place on the 22nd of October 2018 and you will be able to watch online at parliamentlive.tv with a video and transcript being available afterwards.
But what about programme news……………
well we have something momentous to share and this is that we have a new team member. We are excited to announce that Mr Scott Watkin BEM has agreed to join the team. Scott is to work with us for 12-months initially as a programme ambassador to help spread and share the work of the programme, and act as an expert consultant for this programme and other Health Education England programmes.
When we asked Scott to tell us why he had agreed to work with us to develop the programme he said:
“It’s an exciting role and I think it’s a way of helping the Intellectual Disability programme make sure they get the voice of people with a learning disability and their family included”
Scott’s role we are sure will develop as he guides us over the coming 12 months but we have started the collaboration with a co-designed Job Description and will be working with Scott to publish a paper on the teams experience in 12-months time so we can share all our learning.
You can view a copy of the Job Description below:
https://sites.google.com/view/southidambassadorjd
So in answer to the question in the title of this blog: “What have we done?” the answer has to be because of Scott agreeing to work with us we know we have taken another step in the direction of achieving the aspiration of the programme.
Thank you for saying yes Scott.
Don’t forget if you want to make contact with the programme here is a quick reminder of the current ways we are using to share and communicate the information on this blog:
We have a dedicated programme email account: SouthID@hee.nhs.uk
We have a very active twitter feed just use the hash tag #SouthID when you want to share with us: @HEE_SouthID
We also share updates via our LinkedIn page, which you are welcome to follow:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hee-southid/
More recently, our stakeholder have setup an Instagram account to capture images from events the programme are involved with:
https://www.instagram.com/south.id/
So get in touch and tell us what you are doing and help us share your workforce work
SAVE THE DATE : 7th of November the LAUNCH of Greater London Learning Disability Community of Practice 🚀
Following a series of consultation events earlier on this year click link to see the event findings https://idhekss.wordpress.com/reports/id-hee-project-reports/#5 I am really pleased to tell you that Health Education England have been able to fund BILD, the British Institute of Learning Disabilities to help London to develop and sustain its own Learning Disability Community of Practice.
Link to 2018’s Kent, Surrey and Sussex LD CoP film from the day https://vimeo.com/277263727
The aim of the community is to provide a place for all that have a shared interest in the eradication of health inequality whoever they might be to share learning and knowledge with one another i.e. sharing what we have and reducing silo working for everyone
BILD have just posted a save the date I have put the details on our programme web blog https://idhekss.wordpress.com/2018/08/01/save-the-date-greater-london-learning-disability-community-of-practice-%F0%9F%9A%80/ and more details with regards to 1) the agenda and celebrity speakers 2) how to become involved 3) how to book a stand 4) how to apply to run a workshop and much more will all be shared via their website all details again are on the above link.
Please can you share this information with everyone i.e. all your networks, your colleagues, family members, friend, student, education colleagues, providers from every sector, people and their friends with lived experiences, the young and not so young, health & care workforce, every other workforce I really do mean anyone and everyone who wants to make a difference by learning and sharing.
Workforce Development for & with People with Intellectual Disabilities 